Child&#39;s bib that includes a bead string fastener

ABSTRACT

A child&#39;s bib includes a plastic string ( 5, 55, 56 ) which has a free-bearing part ( 55, 56 ) that extends from one end of the edge of the neck-surrounding recess of the bib to the front piece thereof and terminating in the proximity of the other end of the edge of said recess, said plastic string having the form of a series of beads ( 51 ) that are mutually separated by waist portions. Located at the free end portion of the string is a fastener ( 30 ) in the form of a rounded button which includes a notch-like recess ( 32 ) that receives the string and that has a restraining element ( 33, 34 ) which engages a waist portion ( 52 ) situated between two beads ( 51 ) in the string ( 56 ). The fastener is slightly undercut so as to be able to hold the string firmly with a limited force.

This is a nationalization of PCT/SE03/001672 filed Oct. 29, 2003 andpublished in English.

The present invention relates to a bib of the kind defined in thepreamble of claim 1.

The bib according to the invention is of the kind known in practice thatcomprises a thin, resilient, injection-moulded plastic element thatforms a bib front piece which is intended to cover the wearer's chest inthe region beneath his or her neck and which has at its lower end acollecting tray and at its upper end a recess that is placed around thechild's neck. A string of material of round cross-section is fitted toand around the edge of the recess.

It is also known in practice to connect a string to one end region ofthe edge of the recess and to allow the string to extend across therecess to a fastener on the upper part of the front piece in the regionof the other end of the recess. The string is free-bearing and has theform of a series of beads which are mutually connected by means of waistportions. The fastener has the form of a keyhole opening that includes afirst part whose size allows the pearls to pass through, and a radiallyand outwardly extending slot whose width corresponds to the diameter ofthe waist portions.

One object of the invention is to provide a fastener which enables thefree end portion of the string to be attached more easily and which hasthe form of a series of mutually joined beads and enables the free endof the string to be fastened to and released from the fastener singlehanded.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener that minimisesthe risk of personal injury and that enables the holding strength of thestring to be controlled within chosen limits with respect to the tensionin the string.

These objects are achieved with the present invention.

The invention is defined in the accompanying independent claim 1.

Further embodiments of the invention will be evident from theaccompanying dependent claims.

The string bridging the neck surrounding recess has the form of a stringof beads, at least at its free end. An important feature of theinvention is that the fastener has the form of a body that is mounted onthe front piece and that includes a generally U-shaped notch, whichpreferably extends parallel with the nearby free end portion of thestring. The notch faces away from the main surface of the body-carryingfront piece and has a width corresponding to the diameter of the string.The notch includes a restraining element that is intended to be receivedin a waist between two mutually adjacent beads in the string. Therestraining element preferably includes sections for springy andyielding engagement with the waist portions, said sections beingmutually spaced apart at a distance smaller than the diameter ofrespective waist portions and located above the level of the centre ofthe string resting on the bottom of the recess.

The restraining element will preferably extend around the waist portionthrough more than 180 degrees.

The fastener body has generally the form of a hemispherical elementwhose height is suitably slightly larger than the outer diameter of thestring so as to enable the notch to receive the whole of the string. Thebody is suitably located on the side of the front piece that faces awayfrom the wearer.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference tothe accompanying drawing, in which

FIG. 1 is a front view of a child's bib constructed in accordance withthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view taken on the line II—II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part of the bib construction shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a sectioned view taken on the line IV—IV in FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is a sectioned view taken on the line V—V in FIG. 1.

Shown in FIG. 1 is a bib 1 that comprises a thin injection-mouldedplastic element that forms a bib front piece 2 which has at its lowerend a tray-like projection 3 and at its upper end a recess 4 forplacement around the child's neck.

A string of material 5 of round cross-section is fitted to and aroundthe edge 41 of the recess 4.

Because the string 5 is comprised of a string of beads 51 that aremutually joined by waist portions 52, the string 5 will afford soft butnevertheless airy contact with the skin of the wearer's neck. As will beevident from FIG. 1, the string 5 includes an extension 55 in additionto the string portion moulded around the edge of the recess 4, saidextension following generally a curved path from one end 42 of therecess 4 in a free-bearing manner with a free end-portion 56 of theextension located in a part 22 of the front piece 2 situated in theproximity of the other end 43 of the edge of the recess 4. A fastener 30for fastening the end portion 56 of the string is provided in thisregion of the front piece 2. Provided in the upper end portion of thefront piece 2 in the vicinity of the end 42 of the recess 4 is apenetrating opening 22 which enables the bib to be hung up.

The fastener 30 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has the form ofa generally hemispherical body 31 whose curved part faces away from thefront surface of the front piece 2. Extending through the body 31 is anotch 32 which has a width corresponding to the outer diameter of thebeads 51 in the string 5 and a depth which corresponds generally to thediameter of said beads 51.

Provided midway along the notch 32 is a restraining element 33 which isintended to be received in a waist portion 52 and therewith secure thestring against displacement along the notch 32.

As will be seen from FIG. 4, the restraining element 33 includes twomutually opposite parts 34 which are mutually spaced by a distancesmaller than the diameter of a respective waist portion and which arelocated at or above the level of the centre of the string when the beads51 of the string extension rest on the bottom of the notch 32, such thatthe notch 32 and said notch parts 34 will enclose the string around anangle slightly greater than 180 degrees.

The free end part of the string has a given bending resistance, such asto enable the end part of the string to be lifted up out of the notch 32against the holding action afforded by the parts 34. This can beachieved by lifting the end part 56 of the string through a givendistance from the body 31 and/or by wedging a finger between the frontpiece 2 and the string portion 56 in the proximity of the body 31. Itwill be seen from FIG. 4 that the body 31 has a shaft which extendsthrough a hole (not shown) in the front piece 2. There is included aconical latching element anchored (by casting) between the end of theshaft and the rear side of the front piece 2. The rounded shape of thebody 31 lessens the risk of the string hooking fast. Under normalcircumstances the string portion 56 can be placed easily in the notch32, by pressing the string 56 down into the notch with the thumb of onehand while supporting against the underside of the front piece at thefastener 30 with the fingers. Because the free-bearing part 55 of thestring is pre-formed to bridge the entrance to the recess 4, the bib canbe placed comfortably around a child's neck single handed. When the bibhas been placed around the neck of a child, the elastically resilientpart of the string will assist in holding the bib in place prior tosnapping the string part 56 into the fastener 30.

1. A bib that comprises a front piece (2) which has at its lower end acollecting tray (3) and at its upper end a recess (4) for placement ofthe bib about the wearer's neck, wherein a springy, free-bearing string(5), connected to the front piece in the region of one end of the edgeof the recess (4), is adapted to extend to a fastener located on theupper part of the front piece (2) in the region of the other end of therecess (4), wherein the string comprises, at least in its free endportion, mutually sequential beads (51) that are joined together viawaist portions (52), characterized in that the fastener includes a body(31) mounted on one major surface of the front piece (2); in that thebody (31) includes a generally U-shaped notch (32) that extendsgenerally parallel with the nearby end portion (56) of the free-bearingstring; in that the notch (32) faces away from the front piece surfaceon which the body (31) is mounted; and in that the notch includes aspringy, elastic restraining element (33, 34) that co-acts with thestring such as to hold the string releasably in the notch.
 2. A bibaccording to claim 1, characterised in that an undercut part of thenotch includes the restraining element which is intended to be receivedin a waist portion (52) located between two mutually sequential beads(51) in the string.
 3. A bib according to claim 2, characterised in thatthe restraining element includes two separate parts (34) which areadapted to springily and yieldingly engage a respective waist portion,wherein said parts of the restraining element are spaced apart by adistance smaller than the diameter of a respective waist portion (52)and are located above the bottom of the notch (32) at a distancetherefrom which is greater than the radius of the beads, when the beadsrest on the bottom of said notch.
 4. A bib according to claim 1,characterised in that the restraining element (33) extends through morethan 180 degrees around a respective waist portion (52).
 5. A bibaccording to claim 1, characterised in that the exposed surface of saidbody is hemispherical in shape.
 6. A bib according to claim 5,characterised in that the extension of the hemispherical shape issomewhat greater than the outer diameter of the string.
 7. A bibaccording to claim 1, characterised in that the fastener notch isgenerally parallel with the nearby free-bearing free end portion (56) ofthe string.
 8. A bib according to claim 1, characterised in that thestring is formed integrally with the front piece.
 9. A bib according toclaim 1, characterised in that the string has an end portion that hasbeen extruded onto and around the edge of the recess to surround thesame.
 10. A bib according to claim 9, characterised in that the part ofthe string extruded around the edge of the recess has the form of a beadstring.